BOYS BASKETBALL

East Aurora guard Ryan Boatright had a simple message for center Tom Okapal before Friday's regional final against Neuqua Valley.

"I told (Okapal) that he would be the X-factor because Snoop (Viser) was out for the game," Boatright said. "I knew the game might come down to him."

With Viser sidelined with a dislocated finger suffered in gym class this week, Okapal finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds to lead East Aurora to a 62-59 overtime victory in the Class 4A Bolingbrook Regional final. The Tomcats will host Benet on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in a sectional semifinal. Benet defeated East Aurora in sectionals last year.

Okapal, not Boatright, energized the Wildcats (23-5) in overtime, scoring five straight points to give East Aurora a 60-55 lead after a basket off of an inbounds play with 52 seconds left.

"Coach (Wendell Jeffries) has been on me all year to put in extra time," Okapal said. "I felt I didn't do anything the first two times we played (Neuqua Valley). I knew I had to play big."

Boatright, who scored a game-high 32 points, waited until the second half to put on his usual shooting show. The Connecticut-bound senior was held to 18 points through the first three quarters, but scored 11 points in the fourth and finished with six 3-pointers.

Boatright made all three of his 3 attempts in the fourth. The Tomcats won their fourth straight against the Wildcats, including wins in the last two regional title games in the last two years, and three this year.

The Wildcats (22-8) used a myriad of defenses in an attempt to contain Boatright, utilizing a triangle-and-two most of the game and face-guarding and bodying Boatright.

"I respect him so much," Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton said of Boatright. "He's such a great player. I can't believe the Chicago Sun-Times didn't make him player of the year over (Wayne) Blackshear. Blackshear couldn't do half of the things Boatright did out there."